Hi, I'm McKenzie Bridgewater

I grew up a nerd and a tomboy. I longboard, love music, hugs and I'm not afraid to show up the boys. Oh yeah, and I'm a Mormon.

About Me

I've been a member of the church my whole life, but I never truly embraced it until recently. I grew up moving around a lot and it was hard to make friends. I never felt like I fit in and I always felt empty inside like I was missing a huge chunk of myself. I found a few friends that I loved but they weren't members of the church. I also found things I loved like art, dance, skateboarding, long boarding, and music, but they never fully filled the void I was feeling inside. After High School I moved to Idaho to go to school at Brigham Young University. I still felt out of place even there. So I kept moving around from place to place trying to find where I fit in. After moving and getting lost in the world I fell away from the church for a while. One of my friends invited me back and here I am now. :) I'm currently serving a full time Mission in the Arkansas, Little Rock Mission and loving it. I'm still the punk, skater, musician, artist, lover I was back home but now I'm complete. It's all because I am a Mormon. :)

Why I am a Mormon

I am a Mormon because I know where I'm going in life. It's hard to know where you're going if you don't know where the path and the finish line are. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has put me on that path and I know where I'm going now. I find comfort in knowing that I have a Heavenly Father and that he knows me personally and he loves me. I know what I need to do to return to him. I know by living my life the way I am I'm going to be blessed beyond anything I can understand. I know I belong to something that's true and full of love. I wish this joy and knowledge for everyone.

Personal Stories

Why/How do you share the gospel with your friends?

A lot of the time I start sharing the gospel by saying "What do you know about my church?" It's not intrusive or rude and it makes people think "What do I ACTUALLY know about Mormons?" People often hear about us their whole lives but they really don't know much or have misconceptions. I love to share the gospel because I want everyone to know the joys that I do. I want them to know what makes me happy and keeps me positive no matter what comes up. Who wouldn't want to share that?! Everyone I talk to could benefit from the simple truth I know and I'm not afraid to share it!

How I live my faith

I am currently serving a full time Mission for the church in the Arkansas, Little Rock Mission. I teach people full time about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What do Mormons believe about family?

McKenzie Bridgewater answered...

There's a fantastic reason God put us in a family structure. They can be a support system when everything else fails. Even though they can often be imperfect at times your family can be a place of belonging and strength.
We also believe that families can be together forever. Meaning, that we can be with our loved ones in the life to come. Your mom will still be your mom and your dad is your dad. You can be with your sisters and brothers forever. You can reunite with lost family members and always have the joy of their company! What a wonderful blessing! I can't imagine heaven being heaven without my family there with me.
Show more of my answers Show less of my answers One Moment Please
Bradley. answered...

The family is a key component to support us in God's plan for gaining immortality and eternal life. All of God's children (all the inhabitants that lived, are living, and will live on Earth) are inseperably connected to each other, both (physically) by our Earthly families and (spiritually) by our Heavenly Father.

Families help us to understand our divine heritage. In this, life takes on purpose and meaning. Our immortal spirits were created by our Heavenly Father before Earthly existance, and we are directly connected to Him in this way. As a spiritual family, our collective purpose on Earth is to follow the commandments of God that lead us to live in heaven with Him again.

Our spirits need to progress, learn, and grow. In order to achieve that, Earthly existance was created as our test. Our Heavenly Father knew that being exposed to opposing forces on Earth was the only way for us to gain knowledge and wisdom.

However, we will not always choose righteousness, and so our Savior, Jesus Christ, is that great mediator to pay the debt of our mistakes. He is the only way by which we can be saved from our sins and transgressions. He is the ultimate example by which direction we need to live our lives. With the support of our earthly kin, we can learn from each other, serve each other, and strengthen our mortal weaknesses by being disciples of Christ. Our families are a gift from God, and we can be together forever.

What is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' attitude regarding homosexuality and same sex marriage?

Paul answered...

The Church considers homosexuality a sinful practice that is engaged in via the agency of the individuals involved. What I mean is that those who participate in homosexual activities make the choice to do so. No one is born gay as that would be contrary to God’s plan of happiness for His children. Nor would He (God) place someone on earth who was wholly incapable of keeping His commandment pertaining to sexual conduct. Our Heavenly Father has revealed that sex (all forms of intimate relations) are to be exercised only between a man and a woman who are legally married to one another and in no other forum. The genders of the two parties and the exclusivity of their participation in sexual activity is central to acceptable obedience to God’s commands in this area. Additionally the first commandment given to Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden was to “multiply & replenish the earth”. This important commandment is thwarted by homosexuality. While it is no secret that many (including members of the Church) struggle with feelings of same sex attraction this does not (nor will it) change what God has revealed. As a result the Church has (& will continue) spoken out on this subject all the while insisting that the “one man, one woman, married” paradigm is God’s design for the happiness & destiny of all of His children. As far as the importance of the topic goes it is certainly relevant as numerous members of the Church struggle with homosexual feelings or actions.

It is my understanding that as long as an individual does not act on homosexual feelings or tendencies (there’s the agency again/the ability to choose) and conducts himself or herself in accordance with God’s commands no disciplinary measures are taken and standing within the Church is maintained. Members who engage in homosexuality on the other hand face disciplinary measures that may restrict their membership in the Church or remove their membership altogether.

Many people are aware the Church has been active in causes that support marriage as a union between one man and one woman. This institution supports the traditional family composed of a father, a mother, and children. Since we believe the family to be the basic unit of society and the foundation upon which good communities and nations are built we are concerned with any institution that strikes against that model. Homosexuality and same-sex marriage is incompatible with our understanding of the plan God has for His children. A great summary of the Church’s view on families is encapsulated in The Family: A Proclamation to the World (on the Church web site)